Stuart of Tirragen
by TirragenGirl
Summary: A girl from Tirragen decides she would do better as a male page, fools her family, and begins traning. But things aren't as simple as she had expected. In response to the latest reviews: Thanks for your comments. They'll be worked in. Please be patient. S
1. Stuart of Tirragen

Allena of Tirragen sighed as she stared up from the bottom of the hill at the palace of Tortall. Somewhere inside those vast rooms and corridors of that building, a room was waiting for her. There, she could put down her bags and take a hot bath, her first in almost a week. The eleven-year-old noble had come all the way from Tirragen, her fief, such as it was. It wasn't much of one; it had been in decline ever since Alex of Tirragen had made some mistakes in King Roald's time. Allena was about to change all that. She was about to begin knight's training as a page. When she led armies and returned victorious to Corus, Tirragen would be restored to its old height once more. She took a deep breath and began to drag herself up to the pages' wing. She was met but a small, dark haired woman in the uniform of a servant. The woman looked her up and down—they stood about eye to eye—and said: "New page?" Allena gulped and nodded. "I'll show you to your rooms," she said kindly. It'll ease your nerves, to be in your own place. What's your name, lad?"  
"Stuart. Stuart of Tirragen." Allena replied smoothly. Lad, she thought, good.  
"I'm Selma," said the woman. "Welcome to the palace, Stuart."  
The name still caught her off guard when other people used it, despite the fact that she had traveled under it to give herself practice. Coming as a boy had been her idea. Making it official hadn't been difficult. The older cousin who had been put in charge of Tirragen wasn't interested in Allena; she was only interested in playing Lady until Allena's mother, Desirae, came home. Allena had written the letter, Cousin Padma had only signed it, without noticing that the pronoun was masculine rather than feminine.  
Allena had reason to deceive the crown. She wasn't just a thrill- seeker. As far as she was concerned, the fate of Tirragen was in her hands. She intended her fief to be glorified by a proper knight, not an upstart girl who most people didn't think should be allowed to train at all.  
Selma stooped in front of her door, the ninth on the left. "If you need anything, my room's the first door in this hall. Have you a servant with you?"  
"No."  
"Then I'll assign someone to your room."  
"Thank you. Thank you very much," Allena said, meaning it. She opened her door and went in. There was a small but comfortable-looking main room and a smaller dressing room off of it. Allena wandered through it and had a thorough look at everything. She didn't have much of her own to unpack. Several items of clothing went into the plain wardrobe, her toiletries she placed on a small table in the dressing room, a few books were stacked on her dark polished desk, and she set her most prized possession, her flute, next to them.  
She was just putting ink and quill pens in a drawer when there was a knock on the door.  
I wonder what that's about, she thought, and went to open it. A boy of about sixteen, with light brown hair and green eyes, stood outside. He looked at her quizzically for a moment and then said "Hello. I'm sorry, I've made a mistake."  
He turned and strode down the hall, muttering to himself. Profoundly curious, Allena leaned out and looked after him. After a few seconds she pulled her head back in, shaking it. She'd find out who he was in good time.  
She figured she'd better change for dinner. There was not telling how soon it was, and it wouldn't do to be late on her first day. She left the rest of her things where they were and removed a blue vest, white shirt, and white breeches from the wardrobe.  
A few minutes later she was surveying her reflection in the window. She saw a slim, young boy or girl with brown eyes. Her hair dark hair was slightly damp from being combed with water and her face red from scrubbing. Perfectly normal, she though, tugging her sleeve down. Nervous looking, but perfectly normal.  
The bell rang. Squaring her thin shoulders, she opened the door. 


	2. The First Night

A flood of pages greeted Allena in the corridor. What seemed like a horde of boisterous, chattering boys swept her along to the dining hall.  
There were no empty tables. She took her plate to the end of one of the long trestle tables where three boys about her age sat.  
"Hello," said the boy on her right, looking at her with open hazel eyes. "I'm Prosper of Tameran. Who're you?"  
"I'm Stuart, of Tirragen," she replied. She liked the name Stuart. Her mother had once told her that that was what she would have been named if she were a boy. "This is my first year, is it yours?"  
"It is," Prosper told her. "And I'm so nervous!"  
"I know, me too," she agreed. She liked Prosper already. They watched the older pages at the other tables. Allena immediately picked out Keladry of Midelan, the Girl, who had to undergo a year of probation before becoming a real page. Being The Girl didn't seem to have impaired Keladry's ability to make friends. There were almost a dozen boys sitting with her, laughing and talking animatedly.  
She recognized the boy who had knocked on her door by mistake. He was holding Keladry's arm in one hand and waving the other. They appeared to be having a dispute of some kind. After a little while, the girl said "Oh fine" and the boy put his hand to a large bruise on her arm. Green light flashed and it shrank and disappeared.  
"Wow," Allena breathed. "Did you say something?" asked Prosper, who had been gazing at the training master's table.  
"Never mind," muttered Allena, and she continued to stare around the room.  
"It's unusual, really" a tall boy with very red hair was saying to a dark-haired boy who Allena recognized as the crown prince, Roald. "They always do sponsors first, don't they?"  
She didn't' hear the prince's reply because she was too busy wondering what a sponsor was and whether she should know. It didn't preoccupy her for very long, and she returned to looking around.  
A boy two tables away was juggling rolls, to the applause and cheering of his companions. She watched him until the person next to him shifted, revealing someone very stunning at the next table. He had high cheekbones, white-blond hair, and perfect blue eyes. "That's ridiculous, Vincent!" he was snapping at the boy next to him. She thought his cheeks were flushed with anger, but they remained rosy after the boy apologized and a satisfied smile replaced his infuriated expression. She couldn't help laughing a little bit. She turned to Prosper and was about to say: "he looks more like a girl than I do!" before she realized—much more to her surprise than was to be hoped—that she wasn't supposed to look like a girl. Allena bit her lip and finished her soup, which was getting cold.  
Lord Wyldon rose, and the room fell silent.  
"I would like to see all the first year pages. Immediately," the training master said stiffly.  
Allena got up, as did Prosper and the other two boys at their end of the table. One other joined them in a nervous line in front of Wyldon.  
"Don't think you'll have an easy time this year," he began. "You will work when you're tired, when you're ill, and when you can't possibly work any more." The older pages were listening now. Allena hear someone whisper "That's the same speech he gives every year!"  
"You have one more day to laze," Lord Wyldon continued. "Your sponsor will show you around the palace and help you collect those things which the crown supplies to you. After that, we begin.  
You! Your name and fief!" he barked, suddenly rounding on one of the boys from Allena's table. "Teron of Blythdin, sir," he replied smartly.  
Wyldon turned to the watching pages. "Which of you will sponsor Teron and teach him our ways?"  
The tall, broad-shouldered senior page who Allena had seen talking to the prince raised a hand.  
"You will, Cleon of Kennan?" asked the training master, with an unnerving stare at him.  
"If you please, my lord?" the boy bowed.  
Wyldon nodded slightly and he went to stand behind Teron, who looked as nervous as Allena felt.  
The training master addressed another boy. "You! Your name and the holding of your family."  
"O-Owen of J-Jesslaw" the stout, curly-haired page stuttered.  
Prince Roald cleared his throat quietly. "It would be a privilege," he said in a near whisper, smiling softly at Owen.  
Lord Wyldon gave a curt nod of acknowledgement. Then he pointed at Prosper. "You!"  
The wide-eyed blond boy was ready. He bowed deeply and said "Prosper of Tameran, my lord," in a level, clear voice. As Allena sighed inwardly, relieved to have been shown the proper response, she noticed that none of the older pages came forward.  
Please, she thought, clenching her fists behind her back, someone sponsor Prosper.  
Another redhead, younger than Cleon, raised a cautious hand.  
"Merric, I would have preferred that you spend your extra time improving your archery skills, but as there are no other volunteers..." Allena didn't think it was very nice to respond to such an offer with a rebuke.  
Relief broke on Prosper of Tameran's face as Merric came to stand behind him.  
"You!" said Wyldon, taking Allena completely off guard.  
"Stuart of Tirragen. My lord." She hastily added. She forgot to bow. Wyldon gave her a hard stare before turning to the older pages. There was a slight pause before someone spoke up. "I suppose," he began in a slow drawl. Allena went up on her tiptoes to try to get a look at him.  
"Neal!" someone hissed, just as she succeeded. He was tall-very tall- and he had emerald eyes and light brown hair. When he saw her looking, he arched elegant eyebrows.  
The boy continued like no one had spoken. "That my lord Wyldon would prefer another sponsor, to prevent me from passing along my atrocious insolence, but I just cannot resist assisting my fellow pages!" He finished dramatically in a voice that was educated as well as theatric.  
He looked at Wyldon, not seeming at all apprehensive of the response he might receive. "I'm sure you will be then pleased to assist them by helping the laundry maids for two bells next free day" the training master snapped. "As for Stuart, you have permission to sponsor him, providing there are no more suitable volunteers."  
There was whispering when Wyldon gave the other pages a hard look, but no one else raised a hand.  
"Than me it is!" Neal declared, standing behind Allena. She heard him mutter "Or is it 'I'"? Dermid of Josu's Dirk, the last new page, was sponsored by Vinson of Genlith, who Allena had seen sitting with the blonde page earlier. The other new pages and their sponsors stood while Dermid nervously gave his name and Wyldon admonished Vincent for not asking respectfully.  
"Dismissed!" Wyldon barked.  
Allena turned toward her sponsor. Neal towered over her. "I know you!" she exclaimed. "You knocked on my door this afternoon, by mistake."  
"Yeah," he said. "Sorry about that. That's I, Neal of Queenscove."  
"Nice to meet you, near," Allena said quietly. She held out her hand.  
Jokingly, Neal got down on his knees so he was about at her eye level. He shook her hand. "Nice to meet you, Stuart."  
Neal walked her back to her room (so she wouldn't get lost and knock on the wrong door, he explained) and said goodnight. Opening the shutters so the dawn would awaken her in the morning, Allena lay down on her new bed in her new home and fell asleep. 


	3. The First Day

Sunlight woke Allena as she had expected, making her blink her dark eyes.  
She yawned and stretched. Climbing out of bed, she splashed cold water on her face and dressed. She found a handful of homemade toffees in her belt pouch and she ate a few to get herself awake enough to do something productive. She had no weapon, nor enough focus to do something like mathematics, so she practiced flute. She was playing "Down Among the Rushes" when the wakeup bell rang. She ignored it, but opened the door early enough to be enveloped in a stream of pages and carried to the dining hall before the next bell rang.  
She felt a tap on her shoulder jut as she got in line. Neal was there, smiling wryly at her. He gestured to the pages still arriving in the hall. "At least you won't get lost that way."  
Allena smiled back. "Want some toffee?" she asked, pulling the remaining pieces out of her pouch. Neal eyed it warily and said "Not really, thanks. I assume you can navigate the line by yourself?"  
Shortly afterward, the girl joined her sponsor at the table she had seen him at the day before. A very freckled boy and an older, darker one were already sitting there.  
"Stuart, this is Esmond and this is Faleron. Esmond, Faleron, meet Stuart of Tirragen," Neal announced.  
Esmond, the freckled boy, gave a mock bow from his seat, making a face at Neal. Allena caught Faleron's wink just as the other boy began to talk.  
"Hi," he said. "Where's Tirragen? Is it a nice place? It's got a big lake, right? I'm from Nicoline. It's all right. A bit dull though. So this is your first year, huh? Gods, that seems like a long time ago for me, even though it was only last ye—( Esmond was interrupted by the arrival of another boy, Prosper's redheaded sponsor. "Hi Merric," said Esmond brightly, barely pausing to breathe. Faleron looked at Neal to see if he was going to introduce 'Stuart'. Neal, however, was apparently not a morning person and seemed to feel he had done his duty with the first introduction. He just continued to stare glumly into his porridge.  
"Merric, this is Stuart," said Faleron, indicating Allena. Merric held out a hand and she shook it. All of a sudden, while Allena still held Merric's right hand, he slapped his forehead with his left.  
"Oh no!' he cried, and, releasing Allena's hand, he dashed away.  
"What was that about?" she asked. At first she got no answer. Neal was still sadly surveying his breakfast and the other two boys were laughing.  
"What's so funny?" she persisted.  
Esmond continued to giggle while Faleron explained. "Merric is supposed to sponsor Prosper of Tameran. He told him he'd find him and take him to breakfast."  
Esmond stopped laughing long enough to finish "and he's forgotten!"  
Poor Prosper, Allena thought, as Prince Roald and Keladry walked up. The Prince was rubbing his shoulder. "Ouch," he said. "What was Merric in such a hurry for?"  
Allena didn't listen to Faleron repeating his explanation. She was too thrilled over the people who had just joined them. Prince Roald, the heir to the throne, and Keladry of Midelan, who was practically her hero!  
The Girl seated herself between Esmond and Neal, who looked up at her for a moment to say "Morning, Kel"  
"Good morning," she replied.  
"I didn't say it was good," Neal answered her. She laughed, and they began a friendly argument about it. "By the way," Faleron was saying to Roald, "Where's the boy you're sponsoring? Owen, right?"  
"He's having breakfast with his uncle who's in town. It's allowed, since we haven't really started yet." Allena wasn't surprised by the Prince's answer. He didn't seem the type to abandon a new page.  
"Where's Seaver?" someone asked as Allena spooned up the last of her porridge.  
"He went to Neal's dad, he felt queasy," replied Esmond, who seemed to keep up a constant stream of chatter.  
"I hope he's all right." Allena leaned out to peer around Faleron and saw that the speaker was Merric, who had returned with Prosper in tow. Allena waved good morning to her fellow first year and he waved back.  
As she began to look around the room, Neal got her attention. "Are you finished?" he asked. "If you are, I could show you around a bit, and there's lots f stuff you've got to get before tomorrow." "Sure," she said, getting up. Neal excused himself to Kel, and Allena followed him out.  
Some time later, as a servant piled formal tunics and hose onto Allena's outstretched arms, she asked: "Neal, Esmond said that Seaver" Whoever he is, she added silently "went to you father. Who's he?"  
She caught her sponsor's slight grimace. "Duke Baird," he said. "The palace's chief healer. One of the best. He wants me to go to the university." Allena tactfully decided to keep silent about the university, so she waited silently while what seemed like several hundred more clothes were stacked onto her arms.  
With Neal's help. She carried all her new things back to her room. "Meet you the bell before lunch for a tour?" he asked, throwing practice breeches down onto her bed. She agreed readily and her sponsor strolled breezily off down the hall.  
As she was putting her new clothes in the now very full wardrobe, Allena's eye fell on a thin piece of parchment lying on her desk. It read:  
Greetings Stuart of Tirragen from Danielle Stone.  
I will be in charge of your room while you are here in the  
pages' wing. I sweep and bring hot water in the morning and so  
on. I can tell you exactly what I do and don't do when I see you  
tomorrow morning. I'm not a very good write. Sorry if this  
doesn't make sense.  
Dany  
  
She replaced the note and went into the dressing room, where she found what must have been hot water earlier that morning waiting for her, but was now merely warm. It was warm enough for Stuart though, she decided, and she filled her tub and hopped in. She scrubbed herself and hopped out again quickly, wrapping a towel around herself and dressing. She was just getting her flute out to practice "Down Among the Rushes" again when the bell rang and Neal pounded on her door.  
He gave her a magnificent tour. He seemed to know something about every tapestry and every unmarked door and every person who walked by.  
After the tour, they returned to the dining hall for lunch. She was politely introduced to Teron, who she had already met; Cleon of Kennan, his sponsor; and Seaver of Tasride, the queasy boy. He had dark eyes and hair and a quiet voice. Allena liked the second-year on sight.  
She sat between Esmond and Neal, with Kel on Neal's other side. They talked most of the time, about every imaginable subject, from Lord Wyldon- who Neal called The Stump-to their summers, and from weighted harnesses to Yamani culture. Allena eavesdropped on them for awhile, thinking how lucky she was to have Keladry of Midelan's best friend as her sponsor. Maybe she'll talk to me, she thought. Maybe... She wished she could start a conversation, but she couldn't think of anything to say. She gave up in disgust and turned to listen to the conversations on her other side. Prosper was defending his sponsor from Esmond and Seaver, who were playfully needling him about forgetting the first-year that morning.  
After lunch she collected the rest of her things with Neal's help and went on a few exploratory tours of her own. The last one ended up lasting for a full two bells when she took a few wrong turns. When she finally went to sleep that night her dreams were filled with all the new places, things, and people she had seen. 


	4. It Begins

At dawn Allena woke, similar to the previous day. She opened her eyes wide in realization that everything began today. She was really starting.  
As she was making her bed, someone knocked on her door. Throwing on a robe, she went and opened it. A blonde girl stood outside. She was probably only a few years older than Allena herself and a head taller. She wore a servant's uniform and carried a bucket of steaming water.  
"Good morning!' she said cheerily, her horsetail bobbing up and down slightly. "I'm Danielle, or Dany, Stone. You're Stuart?"  
"Yeah," said Allena, slightly taken aback.  
"Nice to meet you. Where're you from again?"  
"Tirragen."  
"Really? I've never been there. You'll have to tell me about it sometime. Right now I've got a whole list of things from Selma to tell you. Let's see. I bring hot water in the mornings and at other times if you ask for it, I light fires and I sweep and dust and so on. Most everything else, you do. You make your own bed and look after your own thins. I can't remember if I'm supposed to repair clothing or get it repaired, but I like you so I will if you want me to help. That's all I can think of. If you get in trouble about it, blame me." This girl could out-talk Esmond, Allena thought. Easily.  
"Great, great." she said breathlessly. "I'll try to remember all that."  
"The last part's the most important," Dany said, blue eyes twinkling. She winked, handed Allena the pair of water, and shut the door. Allena could see having Dany around was going to be interesting.  
However, even the oddness of the servant girl couldn't compete with thoughts about what the day would be like. Pulling a rough practice shirt over her head, Allena wondered what her classes were going to be like. As she washed her face, she thought about what kind of horse she'd like to have for tilting. By the time the breakfast bell rang, she had gone over every little thing she could think of at least twice.  
After what seemed like a lot of practice, she could find her way to the dining hall without assistance easily. On her way there, she met Prosper and Teron and fell in with them.  
"Hello," they greeted her.  
"Hi Teron, hi Prosper. Are you nervous about today?" she asked.  
"Kind of," Prosper admitted.  
"I'm not," boasted Teron. "My older brothers told me exactly what to expect."  
"Lucky!" exclaimed Allena.  
"I know," said Teron. "Have either of you got brothers?"  
"No," Prosper made a face. "Only sisters."  
"Too bad. Girls can't do anything," said Teron scornfully.  
What about the Lioness? thought Allena resentfully. What about Kel?  
"Teron, you only have brothers, right?" a voice from behind them said. It sounded vaguely familiar to Allena.  
"Yeah," said Teron slowly, looking over his shoulder.  
"I wouldn't make a claim about something you don't' know, then," said the voice. "Excuse me." Seaver of Tasride edged around Prosper and walked briskly ahead of them. Allena started after him. Prosper looked surprised and Teron scowled. All three waited in line and then carried their breakfast to a table.  
Allena took a seat next to Seaver, across from Neal. "Good morning," she said to him.  
"Morning," he replied. "Scared?' he sounded sympathetic.  
"Fairly," she admitted. He didn't' question her further.  
Starting to eat, they were joined by Merric, Kel, and a few others, including Prince Roald and the boy he was supposed to be sponsoring. Allena noticed that although Roald seemed to be friends with Neal's crowd, he had sat with Vincent and his friends at lunch yesterday and with the juggling boy at dinner. No one had met the other page yet, because his uncle insisted on giving him a complete tour of Corus. He hadn't been at the castle for any of yesterday's meals.  
"Everybody," said the prince, "This is Owen of Jesslaw. Owen, on the end there is Seaver of Tasride, and Stuart next to him. Across from them are Kel and Neal of Queenscove, and next to Neal are Prosper, Teron, and Merric. Faleron's across from him, and Esmond was next to Faleron, 'though I don't' know where he went."  
Owen, a short, stout boy with dark curls, seemed to take all the introductions in stride. He gave everyone an enthusiastic grin.  
Sitting down next to Allena, he exclaimed 'Isn't this jolly?"  
She was spared answering by the arrival of yet another page. This boy was big, broad-shouldered, and shorter only than Neal.  
"Cleon!" Merric cried. "Where were you? You left Teron all on his own!"  
Cleon smiled. He had a wide, slow grin. "I was rescuing the lovely Daine from...Neal! That's right. This Neal is only an illusion. The real one had captured Daine and was telling her all his boring history stories until I gallantly intervened!" he claimed.  
"Shut up," someone told him. Esmond, who must have returned, leaned around to say to Merric "Look who's talking! Remember yesterday?" On her other side, Allena could hear Kel asking Neal seriously if he was an illusion. "Where were you, actually?" Prince Roald asked Cleon. "Oh, talking to Yancen about the stuff he heard fourth years have to do," answered Cleon, and he and the Prince, who was apparently also a fourth year, launched into a long discussion about things that Allena mostly didn't understand. As she listened to all the conversation, she could sense a peace she hadn't expected to find. She liked the palace and thought she could belong there. She was surprised at the acceptance she received. Her happy feeling vanished when who she was and what she was hiding came crashing back into her mind. Trying not to squirm, she imagined telling everyone who she was. It hurt to imagine Neal and Prosper's faces. And Kel! How Kel would hate her! She, Allena, was the most incredible coward ever born. Can't face a year of probation, she thought angrily. Teron's contemptuous voice rang in her ears. "Girls can't do anything." "Stuart? Are you all right?" someone was saying. Allena blinked and looked up into Esmond of Nicoline's freckled face. "What? Oh yeah, I'm fine. I'm just nervous. About today." "I bet I was just as scared as you were when I first started. Maybe more so, even. Which is just as well, since I probably had more cause to be. But my point was everything worked out okay. Bear up! There's no permanent damage, right?" Esmond said consolingly. "Don't answer that," Neal advised jokingly. Allena laughed nervously and smiled weakly at both of them. "Thanks." "Let's go then," Neal suggested. He, Allena, and Esmond got up and got rid of their dishes. "Need anything or can we go straight to the courts?" Esmond asked. They decided to walk straight there. 


End file.
